We got a set of Adventure Begins a few years ago, and the boys enjoyed it a lot. They still like to play but find it a bit basic and repetitive.
I never played D&D but did play HeroQuest and Advanced HeroQuest as well as most of the Warhammer games. I played a bit of Vampire the Masquerade as well.
What would be a good next step for us? What is the basic D&D set up?
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle: Is the most recent starter set specifically designed for new players and includes a beginner-friendly adventure.
There are several other one-shots or 'kid friendly' adventures one can choose from -->
A Tale of Two Fishies: A recommended one-shot adventure that is a fun and simple option for young players
An Ogre and His Cake: A great starting adventure specifically designed and tested with kids to help them learn the game
Simplified Rules: You can simplify the rules to make it easier for young players. For example, remove the "attack of opportunity" rule and just let everyone take a turn after initiative is rolled
Focus on Story: For very young players, start with a more open-ended storytelling experience. For example, telling a story together and having them tell you what their characters do next is a great way to start.
There are plenty of 'premade' adventure options. And the nice thing.. D&D is flexible. If it calls for a dragon... you can change it to a dozen hungry kittens or cavorting kobolds. The mechanics are 'suggestions' starting out... but if you have any 'story telling skills', you are painting 'theater of the mind' for the kids. And they don't have to roll for every action, reaction, or impulse they decide to try. Though.... actions DO warrant consequences. So, make them roll if they decide to fireball the local tavern. City guard WILL be visiting.
You can go online to Amazon and look at >>> The Young Adventurer's Collection box set 1 & 2
Each set is 4 books that make it easier to learn than the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Players Handbook.. especially for the younger folks... though it can be an easy entry level for adults too. And they are only 20 bucks for each set.
You should probably check out the new starter set. (Heroes of the Borderlands) I fully admit I have not used it -- I'm well out of its target market -- but it'll probably be a good choice for getting you all into D&D proper. (And, unlike when I was 8 and playing the original Keep on the Borderlands, your kids are much less likely to all get murdered by lizardmen in the first session.)
After that, it depends on how you and the kids are taking to it. You might continue with premade adventures, or start making your own. (Or something else. It's not impossible that one of them will decide that they want to run a game.)
Earlier this year, D&D Beyond published a very helpful article with a lot of guidance and advice on running D&D for kids, which can be found here.
The one thing I would add though - different children react a bit differently, and there can be a bit of a maturity gap between 8 and 11. The hardest part wirh kids is going to be balancing the level of rules structure and the impulsiveness of children in a way everyone finds fun. The balance of “you can/can’t so that” and “okay, but it is not your turn” can be a bit challenging to hit, and is going to depend on the specific children involved and the dynamic between them.
Funhouse dungeons (like White Plume Mountain in Tales from the Yawning Portal) are great for younger players. They've got lots of goofy challenges and the stakes aren't super high. TFYP is a great book for slotting modular dungeons into your game in general.
Aren't they too young? I'm pretty sure D and D has a rating of 12 and up
That's just a generalised, recommended age that on average someone of that age should be able to grasp how to play the game.
In practice, kids younger than that can play D&D (and conversely I have encountered many an adult older than that who simply cannot get their heads around it).
I've run D&D for young kids and while you may have to either simplify some things, or do it for them, they can still enjoy playing the game.
tl;dr - That's not a hard age limit, ignore it for the specifics of this topic
We got a set of Adventure Begins a few years ago, and the boys enjoyed it a lot. They still like to play but find it a bit basic and repetitive.
I never played D&D but did play HeroQuest and Advanced HeroQuest as well as most of the Warhammer games. I played a bit of Vampire the Masquerade as well.
What would be a good next step for us? What is the basic D&D set up?
Thanks for any guidance.
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle: Is the most recent starter set specifically designed for new players and includes a beginner-friendly adventure.
There are several other one-shots or 'kid friendly' adventures one can choose from -->
A Tale of Two Fishies: A recommended one-shot adventure that is a fun and simple option for young players
An Ogre and His Cake: A great starting adventure specifically designed and tested with kids to help them learn the game
Simplified Rules: You can simplify the rules to make it easier for young players. For example, remove the "attack of opportunity" rule and just let everyone take a turn after initiative is rolled
Focus on Story: For very young players, start with a more open-ended storytelling experience. For example, telling a story together and having them tell you what their characters do next is a great way to start.
There are plenty of 'premade' adventure options. And the nice thing.. D&D is flexible. If it calls for a dragon... you can change it to a dozen hungry kittens or cavorting kobolds. The mechanics are 'suggestions' starting out... but if you have any 'story telling skills', you are painting 'theater of the mind' for the kids. And they don't have to roll for every action, reaction, or impulse they decide to try. Though.... actions DO warrant consequences. So, make them roll if they decide to fireball the local tavern. City guard WILL be visiting.
You can go online to Amazon and look at >>> The Young Adventurer's Collection box set 1 & 2
Each set is 4 books that make it easier to learn than the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Players Handbook.. especially for the younger folks... though it can be an easy entry level for adults too. And they are only 20 bucks for each set.
You should probably check out the new starter set. (Heroes of the Borderlands) I fully admit I have not used it -- I'm well out of its target market -- but it'll probably be a good choice for getting you all into D&D proper. (And, unlike when I was 8 and playing the original Keep on the Borderlands, your kids are much less likely to all get murdered by lizardmen in the first session.)
After that, it depends on how you and the kids are taking to it. You might continue with premade adventures, or start making your own. (Or something else. It's not impossible that one of them will decide that they want to run a game.)
Earlier this year, D&D Beyond published a very helpful article with a lot of guidance and advice on running D&D for kids, which can be found here.
The one thing I would add though - different children react a bit differently, and there can be a bit of a maturity gap between 8 and 11. The hardest part wirh kids is going to be balancing the level of rules structure and the impulsiveness of children in a way everyone finds fun. The balance of “you can/can’t so that” and “okay, but it is not your turn” can be a bit challenging to hit, and is going to depend on the specific children involved and the dynamic between them.
Funhouse dungeons (like White Plume Mountain in Tales from the Yawning Portal) are great for younger players. They've got lots of goofy challenges and the stakes aren't super high. TFYP is a great book for slotting modular dungeons into your game in general.
I think the new Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set is the perfect next step forward. I have it and can recomend it.
Aren't they too young? I'm pretty sure D and D has a rating of 12 and up
That's just a generalised, recommended age that on average someone of that age should be able to grasp how to play the game.
In practice, kids younger than that can play D&D (and conversely I have encountered many an adult older than that who simply cannot get their heads around it).
I've run D&D for young kids and while you may have to either simplify some things, or do it for them, they can still enjoy playing the game.
tl;dr - That's not a hard age limit, ignore it for the specifics of this topic
Find my D&D Beyond articles here